A child’s mystical quest through Baghdad, Siya Kolisi’s journey to World Cup glory and a Sudanese village’s struggle over its future will feature in the third Hollywood African Cinema Connection (HACC) festival taking place from October 30 to November 2, 2026, in Cape Town.
This year’s festival theme, “Our Land, Our Heritage,” brings together stories of community, culture, and resistance, alongside industry sessions on how films are funded, owned, and distributed.
Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream opens the festival, while other highlights include Cotton Queen and a special outreach screening of Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story.
From ancient myth to modern Baghdad
Directed by Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji, Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream follows a nine-year-old homeless boy who believes the Tigris River conceals a gateway to the underworld.
Set in Baghdad in 2019, the film connects the ancient story of Gilgamesh with a child’s experience of grief and survival. Director Al-Daradji describes it as “the missing tablet of Gilgamesh, seen through the soul of a child”.
HACC creative director Weaam Williams said the film’s portrayal of two orphans offered a chance to understand lives often reduced to numbers in news reports.
“We often just see them as statistics in the news,” she said.
The children’s emotions and everyday experiences held her attention throughout the selection screening. “I did not pause. I watched it from beginning to end,” Williams said.
“I found it so intriguing, and I’m really excited to share this with audiences.”
Kolisi’s journey
Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story traces Kolisi’s life from childhood to becoming the Springboks’ first black captain and leading South Africa to victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Organisers describe its festival showing as a special outreach screening.
A Sudanese village’s future
Cotton Queen, the debut feature by Sudanese-Russian filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani, centres on teenage Nafisa in a Sudanese cotton-farming village. The film is set to close the festival.
A businessman’s arrival brings development plans and genetically engineered cotton, drawing her into a struggle over the community’s future.
Williams said: “It really is a female lens and a female gaze into the very intimate worlds of women.”
The documentary programme also includes Paikar, in which filmmaker Dawood Hilmandi confronts his father’s violent past in a story spanning Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
Short Films
Among the short films selected, South Africa’s A Shepherd’s Joy explores growing up in the villages of Matatiele.
Nigeria’s Idia follows a young dancer who rebuilds her confidence through the legacy of the queen she was named after. Namibia’s Okuruwo: The Tale of the Holy Fire follows a man who turns away from his Himba village’s sacred duties.
These titles form part of three short-film blocks across October 31 and November 1.
For Williams, bringing these films to Cape Town depends on audiences taking their seats.
“We depend on the public for their support so that we can continue the work we’re doing,” she said.
Screening tickets are available via the HACC website.
IOL
